Jahangir Hajiyev’s lawyer said about the pressure on him in jail

Judicial investigation in the case of the former head of the Board of OJSC "International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) Jahangir Hajiyev and seven former officials of the financial institution began in the Baku Serious Crimes Court. At the beginning of the meeting Hajiyev’s lawyers said that strong pressure   is made on Hajiyev in the Kurdakhani jail. According to the lawyer, Fakhraddin Mehdiyev, Hajiyev was transferred to other ward where the accused are kept.   For a long time he has been deprived of a fridge in common use. For this reason, Hajiyev "cannot store food and practically  is left without food and water," said the lawyer. Mehdiyev asked the intervention of judges to ensure the rights of  Hajiyev. A lawyer Agil Lahijev said that after the preparatory meeting  Hajiyev was taken to jail in a special "warmed up" truck "GAZ-53", and not in special ventilated cars to transport prisoners.

At the previous meeting Hajiyev demanded to bring to court the Finance Minister Samir Sharifov. He explained it by the fact that the bank's audit committee included the representatives of the Ministry of Finance.  The Ministry owns on behalf of the state the controlling shares of the bank, and presented in its supervisory board. The lawyers also petitioned for permission that Hajiyev is not placed in a glass cell, but next to lawyers. However, no defense motion was satisfied. Further protection declined the tap of the court.

"At the preparatory meeting we have put forward six petitions. The Court expressed attitude only to two of them. This was not justified why they were rejected.  At the investigation was not explained why the request is not met. This approach to the applications at the very beginning of the  trial  causes us to doubt the objectivity of judicial staff," said the lawyer Laidjev.

However, the court upheld the consideration of removal. Further, the prosecutor read out the indictment.

All eight defendants, including Hajiyev, have pleaded not guilty. In the afternoon Hajiyev  was to  give testimony.

Along with Hajiyev before court  were brought: the former leaders of IBA subsidiaries: Anar Sultanov, Yusuf Alekperov, Ilgar Abdullayev, Kanan Orujov, Mahammad Jahangirov, as well as the former director of the Baku plant for the processing of nuts Azad Javadov. They are charged under  the Articles 179.3.1, 179.3.2 (embezzlement on a large scale by an organized group), 308.2 (abuse of power, resulting in grave consequences), 309.2 (abuse of power, resulting in grave consequences), 313 (forgery), 228.1 and 228.4 (illegal purchase, transfer, selling, storage, transportation or carrying of fire-arms, accessories to it, supplies) of the Criminal Code. Hajiyev has resigned as head of the IBA  on 18 March 2015 "for health reasons". After  that were arrested a number of former high-ranking employees of IBA, and businessmen who have received large loans from the bank. According to unofficial data, the amount of bad loans in the IBA reached $6 billion.  Hajiyev was summoned for questioning following the resignation of 17 October as head of the MNS its close relative of Eldar Mahmudov. On December 5 Hajiyev was arrested. According to the lawyer, he was charged with the misappropriation of 42 million manats, which were returned to the state in the form of shares of the bank to 80 million  manat.-06D--